Harsha de Silva, acknowledged that the government's commitment to human rights has been questioned. Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Ministry secretary Prasad Kariyawasam called on the accusers in the AP report to come forward to Sri Lankan authorities. Kariyawasam said Sri Lankan authorities had not yet investigated the claims because they haven't received any evidence or accounts directly. But speaking Tuesday in Vancouver, Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Kapila Waidyaratne denied the claims of torture by the suspected rebels, calling them "baseless and unfounded." The Sri Lankan government has said repeatedly, however, that the rebel group was no longer a threat.

Source: Sunday Times November 16, 2017 05:15 UTC